The ultimate creamy and cheesy chicken nacho dip, made in minutes with a pressure cooker. The perfect appetizer for any occasion and the best part is only real ingredients are used…no velveeta!

I saw a picture of something that looked like a chicken dip the other day. I didn’t know exactly what it was, and there really wasn’t a description anywhere about it, but it definitely got me thinking about some sort of cheese and chicken dip. So, 10 days ago, the stars aligned and I tested and retested this recipe for a Chicken Nacho Dip (without any velveeta!) in my new Crock-Pot® Express Crock Multi-Cooker, and folks, it’s my newest obsession. We actually ended up eating this for an after school snack one day and then turned it into dinner the next. (Served in tortillas.)

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Whether you’re going to a party, want a great chicken recipe to use multi-purposely or love to eat while (pretending) to watch sports, this is the recipe for you!

Here’s my quick run down:

Cook chicken in some broth and taco seasoning real quick in the Crock-Pot®.

Remove the chicken and shred.

Switch over to the Brown/Sauté function and melt in some cream cheese and shredded mexican blend cheese.

Stir in a cornstarch and chicken broth slurry to thicken.

Add in a can of beans.

Add the chicken back into the cooking liquid.

Taste and add in some salt and pepper.

Either keep warm, or serve in a big bowl with diced tomatoes, cilantro and jalapeños.

It’s one of the simplest and tastiest recipes EVER floating around the web for a chicken dip and I love that it tastes as good (if not better!) than it looks.

I’ve always been hesitant to use pressure cookers because they scare me like no other. When I was around Brooke’s age, I saw my aunt using a pressure cooker on Christmas Day to prepare mashed potatoes and it was loud and moderately violent. It clearly made a bad impression on me. So when the Crock-Pot® Brand approached me about their new 8-in-1 multi cooker, the Crock-Pot® Express Crock, I was suuuuuper hesitant to even say yes because did I want this ‘dangerous’ thing that had pressure cooking functions in my house? (A total crazy lady thought.)

Well obviously I said yes because it has 7 other functions besides the pressure cooker and it’s the perfect appliance for those short on space, like us! (Our NYC kitchen is itty bitty compared to what we had in Boise.) I also thought “if I were to buy an appliance like this, what brand would I choose?” and after researching again and again, I’d choose Crock-Pot® products because I trust them way more than some other brands with a comparable product.

As I’ve used it these past few weeks, I’ve gotten the courage to try the pressure cooker function and good news, folks! It’s not as scary as it seems! Full disclosure: I read the manual TWICE to find some assurances and learned that electric pressure cookers today are much safer than the stovetop kind my aunt had used 20+ years ago. The Crock-Pot® Express Crock has safety features built right into it to keep you safe so food won’t explode in your face. (An actual fear I had…again, crazy lady status over here.)

If there is food in your Crock-Pot® Express Crock and you are using the pressure cooker function, once that food is under pressure, you won’t be able to open the lid until all of the pressure has been released, either naturally or through the valve at the top. So, it’s extremely safe.

I was starting to get convinced.

Also, if there isn’t enough liquid in your pressure cooker, it will automatically turn off so you don’t scorch or burn any food.

Here are a few other things I learned about thisCrock-Pot® Express Crock and pressure cooking in general that I literally just learned over this past month:

(For some of you, this might be silly information because you own one of these appliances already and know all of this stuff, but I’m a total newbie and I was on a quick learning curve.)

When using a pressure cooker, there is a preheat time and a cook time. The preheat time can take anywhere between 3 and 15 minutes, depending on how hot your food is to begin with, how much food there is and how much liquid is in the recipe. Your cook time starts when the pressure cooker is ‘preheated’ or completely under pressure.

Once the cook time is completed, the Crock-Pot® Express Crock automatically switches over to the “Keep Warm” function and will keep your food warm for up to 4 hours!

Once the cook time is completed, you can let the machine naturally release pressure (by just letting it sit there for about 10 minutes) or by flicking open the valve at the top using a long kitchen tool (don’t use your hands!) to quickly release all that pressure.

The food pretty much stays the same and in the same spots as when you put it in there. For some reason, I thought that it would look totally different, but it didn’t! For example, I cooked a block of frozen chicken straight from my freezer to shred and use for a new sesame chicken recipe I was testing. When it was finished cooking, the chicken was still in a block, but fully cooked. Totally easy to shred, but still in the same shape as I left it.

The Brown/Sauté function is my favorite! Works amazingly well for soups and stews where you want to brown some veggies and/or meat before cooking. I also use it to bring soups or stews to a boil for easy thickening. This recipe is a great example of that.

A bonus of the Brown/Sauté function is when you use it first to brown meat or veggies or whatever, it actually speeds up your preheat time because you’re starting with food that’s already hot. Important to know when cooking up a quick dinner.

The rice function works really well.

I’ll be honest and say I haven’t used all the functions yet, but the more I try, the more I like this little thing…it’s such a time saver! (Check out my meal plan below.)

Incase you life a hectic and busy life, give some of these easy recipes a try! There are seven listed for a full week of tasty dinners.

Crockpot Chicken Nacho Dip

The ultimate creamy and cheesy chicken nacho dip, made in minutes using a pressure cooker. The perfect appetizer for any occasion and the best part is only real ingredients are used...no velveeta!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.25 lbs)

1/4 cup taco seasoning

pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

1-14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained

8 oz. cream cheese, cut into pieces

6 oz. shredded mexican blend cheese (I used 365 Everyday Value)

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1-15 oz. can white beans**, rinsed and drained

salt & pepper, to taste

2 roma tomatoes, finely diced

chopped cilantro

sliced jalapeno pepper

Instructions

Place 1 1/4 cups chicken broth into a pressure cooker. Whisk in taco seasoning and cayenne. Add in petite diced tomatoes and chicken breasts and stir to coat in liquid. Cover with lid, ensuring pressure valve is closed. Press the "Chicken" cook function button, adjust cook time to 15 minutes and press "high pressure" button. Press "Start" button. It will take about 7-10 minutes to preheat before cooking time starts.

Once cooking time has completed, open the pressure valve to release pressure quickly, using a long kitchen tool. Once all pressure has been released, remove lid. Remove chicken from the liquid and shred. Set aside.

This dip looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it. When I was completing the giveaway, I visited the crockpot website but I’m not sure what information I’m supposed to put into the text bar… please let me know how to finish my entry. Thank you!

I’m also terrified of pressure cookers after seeing my mom use an old one as a kid and it was violent and noisy and she always made jokes about blowing a hole in the roof…..
so this nice, shiny new pressure cooker would be so exciting to try! I love your recipes, blog and Instagram stories!!!